July 18, 2002

Carolina in the News

Current National Coverage

Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina 
people and programs cited recently in the national media:

VUMC pioneering prenatal procedure 
The Tennessean
Pharmacist Kristin Kizer wasn't especially worried when her obstetrician's office called 
to say something was wrong with a blood test during the 17th week of her pregnancy... 
At present, however, it is regarded with doubt by some others in a fairly small field. A 
pediatric surgeon at the University of North Carolina Center for Maternal and 
Infant Health, Dr. Tim Weiner, said he knew little about the specifics of the Vanderbilt 
study but did know that it was ''maybe marginally supported by some animal studies.'' 
http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/02/07/19934550.shtml?Element_ID=19934550

Getting ready for college 
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
Cell structure demonstrated with cake and lollipops, and DNA nucleotides - chains linking 
DNA - created from gumdrops and gushers. This scrumptious look at science is just one 
of the innovative learning strategies for the 80 youngsters in the Learning Bridge Richmond 
program at the Collegiate School... The teachers are responsible for making their own 
lesson plans and assignments. Many use creative approaches to regular topics. Take Sara 
Childress, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina who used candy to illustrate 
her science lesson.
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/education/MGBWBC4JQ3D.html

National News Notes

Dr. Marcia Herman-Giddens, adjunct associate professor of maternal and child 
health at the School of Public Health, was mentioned in a recent issue of Science 
News about the effects of pollution on sexual development in adolescents.

State and Local Coverage

Senate weighs in on campus housing tax debate 
A move Wednesday by the N.C. Senate to quash a tax dispute between Watauga County 
and Appalachian State University drew worried reactions from media and local government
lobbyists... The proposal is aimed at the current dispute only and wouldn’t affect UNC 
Chapel Hill’s Horace Williams property, a planned hotel and golf course at N.C. State, or 
privately owned dormitories like Granville Towers in Chapel Hill, Rand said.
http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-248253.html

Sept. 11 anniversary might alter primary race, consultants say
Winston-Salem Journal
Holding state primary elections on Sept. 10, the day before the anniversary of the terrorist 
attacks, could alter the nature of the fall campaign, some political observers and consultants 
said yesterday... "It may be drowned out," said Thad Beyle, a political scientist at the 
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "And maybe some of the ads might be seen as 
offensive. There may be more serious things to talk about.
http://www.journalnow.com/wsj/news/state/MGBJSUNQQ3D.html

The cool days of 100 summers 
The Triangle could not have ordered up a better day to commemorate the centennial of a 
machine that revolutionized human survival. The heat nearly cracked a record. The humidity 
defied belief. The government certified the air as unfit for human consumption... "I remember 
the days of computer punch cards, and how they'd just wilt on you in an un-air-conditioned 
North Carolina summer," said John Shelton Reed, professor emeritus of all things Southern 
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.... Larry Alford, deputy university 
librarian at UNC-Chapel Hill, said the 1952 expansion made Wilson Library one of the 
first such facilities in the country to add air conditioning to its stacks, where rare books are 
kept. 
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/1562828p-1592183c.html

TEEN PASSENGER LIMITS: ‘Head count’ checks? (Editorial) 
Imagine that you’re a teen-ager and a policeman pulls you over and tickets you for having 
too many friends in the car. Sounds improbable?... Those arguments still hold up. However, 
it’s tough to ignore statistics compiled by UNC Chapel Hill’s Highway Research Center, 
which found that an extra passenger increases an inexperienced teen driver’s crash risk by 
33 percent. With two passengers, the risk factor jumps to 137 percent. 
http://www.herald-sun.com/opinion/hsedits/56-248077.html

Issues and Trends Affecting Carolina

Advanced Degrees Result in Higher Earnings Over Course of Careers, Census Bureau 
Study Shows
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Struggling over that dissertation, and wondering whether finishing it is worth the time and 
effort? Would an extra $900,000 make it worthwhile? People with doctoral degrees earn 
an average of $3.4-million over the course of their working lives, compared with $2.5-million 
for those with a master's degree, $2.1-million for those with a bachelor's degree, and $1.2-
million for those with only a high-school degree, a new study by the U.S. Census Bureau 
shows. 
http://chronicle.com/daily/2002/07/2002071804n.htm
(Note: The Chronicle of Higher Education requires subscription to access articles.)

Albany Chosen as Research Hub for Next-Generation Chips
The New York Times
The world's largest computer chip makers plan to build a major center for research and 
development on the next generation of chips here, at the State University of New York, a 
plan that state officials hope will bring thousands of jobs to the Hudson Valley. State officials 
and a consortium of the chip manufacturers are to announce the $400 million project on 
Thursday, after almost a year of intensive, secret negotiations between the industry and 
Gov. George E. Pataki's office.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/18/nyregion/18TECH.html
(Note: The New York Times requires free registration to access articles.)

House rejects sales tax hike 
It's always tough to pass a tax increase in an election year. House Democratic leaders found 
out just how tough on Wednesday. With scores of mayors and county commissioners watching 
from the gallery, the state House narrowly rejected the Democratic leadership's plan to allow 
local governments to raise a half-cent local-option sales tax a year ahead of schedule so the 
state could use $252 million in local reimbursements to help balance its budget.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/nc/story/1562893p-1592253c.html

Swing space solves NCSU puzzle 
With a $10 million price tag and 60,000 square feet of space, N.C. State University's Flex 
Research Building isn't among the most ambitious of the dozens of construction projects that 
have begun to flow from the $3.1 billion higher education bonds voters approved in 2000. 
http://newsobserver.com/news/triangle/story/1562953p-1592254c.html

Note: If you have any questions about Carolina in the News, 
please call Cathleen Keyser or Mike McFarland at News Services, 
(919) 962-2091 or news@unc.edu or mike_mcfarland@unc.edu